Cast: Pulkit Samrat, Varun Sharma, Richa Chadha, Manjot Singh, Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal
Direction: Mrighdeep Singh Lamba
After two successive light-hearted comic capers, Mrighdeep Singh gets to a ‘under-the-belt' comedy and builds laughter around piss and potty problems. Before you get to throwing up, the disturbing question is, what is worse: the kind of jokes that are palmed off as humour or an audience that laughs instead of cringing.
It may partly be an intrinsic dislike for jokes on the digestive process.
Another challenge is that a filmmaker takes to comedy at a higher risk than in most genres since acceptance is critically connected to the sync of the level and style of the maker. What one laughs at reflects our persona and I for one would avoid laughing at piss and shit jokes even within the dark privacy of the multiplex.
The film is not without its takeaways. More of that later. Let me not be guilty of jumping the gun and doing a poor job of the narrative.
Like in the past, we are dealing with the 'Fukrey' team placed out of New Delhi. The Janata store has flopped and not without cause. The blundering team is higher with the conspicuous absence of Zafar (Ali Fazal). So, we have, for those who come in late: Hunny (Pulkit Samrat — the acknowledged Machiavelli of the group, Patparganj ka Chanakya), the never-right Dilip Choocha (Varun Sharma), the hapless Lali (Manjot Singh), and the cynical and seemingly wise Pandit (Pankaj Tripathi). Starved of money, they are engaged in odd jobs, including searching for a fat kid's lost underwear. You start off on a false note — actually a jarring note — very poor humour. It is another matter though that we also laugh about smelly innerwear!!
From here, Mrighdeep has to face up to a wafer-thin story line based on the premise that humour essentially involves insanity and crudity. The story is attributed to Vipul Vig and let's have a dekho at what his imagination has for the Fukrey team: While the foursome is habitually bungling and floundering, Bholi Punjaban (Richa Chadha) has moved on. Now an aspiring MLA from Delhi, she is also laying claims to being the minister of water resources. Delhi, starved of water is also facing the challenge of Water Don Dhingra (Amit Dhawan) who is financing Bholi's political aspirations. The windfall idea comes when our 'Fukras' decide to field Choocha against Bholi — notwithstanding that he loves her. The mad cap narrative takes them to South Africa in search of an elusive diamond said to be in the minefields owned by Shinda (Manu Rishi Chadha). They return with their flop adventure and a new idea of making petrol. With prospective megabucks in the air, there are greed agendas, villainy but mostly stupidity, including a crocodile at an amusement park.
The Vipul Vig-Mrighdeep Singh combo expects its viewers (and paradoxically successfully) to laugh and enjoy the rival candidates cleaning up toilets and Choocha going one step further, doing what Shabana did in 'Nishanth'. We have detailed a** washing scene and jokes which include smelling your finger after putting it in the hind. There are also the stereotypical first-timers on an international flight and jokes include questions about engine failure mid-air. On second thoughts perhaps everyone has something to laugh about or someone to laugh at. A section of the audience seems to enjoy jokes on mid-air potties and for the discerning it is time to laugh at the source of such humour.
This cross 150-minute comedy needed liberal chopping. On second thoughts, it ought to have been avoided in the first place. Those who brave it on the assumptions of the past, pay the price. While Richa Chadha is lost in her own importance and flippance, Pulkit is the new John Abraham with a solitary expression throughout. Varun Sharma tries his very best to salvage the film. In the process he may well have dented his repute. Manjot Singh as the clueless Lali has an awesome sense of timing. He has his cinematic movements including the scene when he is making tea at Bholi's place. Another take-away is Pankaj Tripathi, who comes up with yet another brilliant performance. He alongside Manjot Singh holds on to some hope and humour.
Fukrey as a franchise is answering the law of diminishing returns. I would rather sit back and watch the first edition on OTT than invest in this mad indulgence which is a misadventure and a cross one at that.
